The Many Worlds of Axel: The Forest
by A Beautiful Oblivion
Summary: Sequel to "The Many Worlds of Axel: The World That Never Was" which you must read first! Axel goes searching for Roxas in many different worlds. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. Allegiances

**Just have to put all the cats, so if you find this boring, just skip to the next chapter.**

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**THUNDERCLAN**

**Leader**

**Saltstar- **She-cat with white fur and ice blue eyes.

**Deputy**

**Stripedpelt- **Gray tom with darker gray stripes.  
**Apprentice, Sandpaw**

**Warriors**

**Emberheart-** Dark orange tom with green eyes. Missing one ear.  
**Apprentice, Smokepaw**

**Nightsky- **Black she-cat (with gray patches), green eyes.

**Wildfur- **Black, long-haired tom, with fur he can't seem to get under control.  
**Apprentice, Butterpaw**

**Gingerstripe- **Light orange she-cat, with orange stripes.

**Lionwing- **Orange, black, and white tom with dark green eyes.

**Snowyheart- **White she-cat with amber eyes.

**Thornwing- **Light brown tom with blue eyes.  
**Apprentice, Robinpaw**

**Graytail- **Gray tom with a bushy tail and amber eyes.

**Medicine Cat**

**Acidclaw- **Blind tom with a black pelt.  
**Apprentice, Honeypaw**

**Apprentices**

**Sandpaw- **Orange she-cat with green eyes.

**Smokepaw- **Gray tom with a white tail-tip.

**Robinpaw- **Brown, tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

**Honeypaw- **Gold she-cat, in training to become a medicine cat.

**Butterpaw- **Honeypaw's twin sister, gold pelt, with green eyes.

**Queens**

**Darkflower- **Black she-cat with green eyes.  
**Kits- **Cinderkit (female), Marshkit (male)

**Snowstorm- **White she-cat.  
**Kits- **Berrykit (female), Birdkit (male), Orangekit (male)

**Elders**

**Frostcloud- **White-she cat with blue eyes.

**Swiftfoot- **Blind brown tom.

* * *

**RIVERCLAN**

**Leader**

**Bramblestar- **Brown tabby tom.

**Deputy**

**Yellowcloud- **Dull golden she-cat.

**Medicine Cat**

**Silverfur- **Silver she-cat.

* * *

**WINDCLAN**

**Leader**

**Littlestar- **Small blue-gray tom.

**Deputy**

**Rockfur- **Dark gray tom.

**Medicine Cat**

**Oakheart- **Reddish-brown tom.

* * *

**SHADOWCLAN**

**Leader**

**Earthstar- **Brown tabby tom.

**Deputy**

**Wolfheart- **Large dark brown tom.

**Medicine Cat**

**Grasspelt- **Brown tabby she-cat.

* * *

**CATS OUTSIDE OF CLANS**

**Curse- **Huge black tom with deep scars on his chest, and amber eyes.

**Axel- **Bright orange tom with green eyes. Former Twoleg and on a mission to find his best friend.

* * *

**NOTE: I didn't put all the cats from Shadow, Wind, and RiverClan because I got kind of tired of making up a bunch of names.**


	2. Enter the Clans

**Story 2! Yay!**

**Summary: Takes place just after Roxas loses his memory and gets sent to Diz's Twilight Town. The thing is, no one told Axel where his best friend went! Now, he's on a mission to find him, searching through different worlds.**

**Also, I thought I should mention that I'm posting a new story for each world, so be ready for that.**

**ALSO, I thought I should mention something else. The cats used here are the same cats used in my other story, A Curse Has Been Laid Upon chapter before this one shows their names and general info. It's an AU for them, so nothing has happened. If you've read the story, you know what I'm talking about. **

**If you've never read Warriors, first of all, GO READ THEM. Second of all, you probably won't have a clue what's going on. It will be explained later. (As is, later in this chapter)**

* * *

Axel yelped as he tripped over a root for the fifth time. He had become a cat in this world, with bright orange fur and a bushy tail. Grumbling, he hauled himself to his paws, and continued walking. He didn't actually know where he was walking to, but he had to look for Roxas, right?

He stopped, sniffing. There was another cat nearby. And it smelled like more than one. Sensing danger, he tried to summon his chakrams. Nothing happened. _They must not work in this world_, he thought, sighing. Looks like he'd have to fight with tooth and claw, even though he had no idea how.

Ferns nearby him rustled, and he jumped back, hissing and ready to fight. Three cats emerged: a black she-cat with gray patches, a gray tabby tom, and a younger ginger she-cat.

The ginger cat hissed when she saw him. "Look, Stripedpelt!" she addressed the gray tabby. "A cat!"

Stripedpelt sighed. "Yes, Sandpaw. It's a cat. What are you going to do about it?"

Axel spoke up. "Umm...hi. I'm sorry if I'm in your space or something, but I was looking for my friend-"

Sandpaw cut him off. "I don't care if you're looking for the warriors of StarClan! You're in ThunderClan territory!"

Now Axel was really confused. Warriors? StarClan? ThunderClan? "Huh?" he asked, bewildered.

"He must be a kittypet," the black she-cat sniffed.

"Kittypet?" Axel echoed.

The she-cat sighed. "Live with Twolegs?" He stared at her with a blank expression on his face. "You know? The creatures with no fur that walk upright on two legs?"

"Oh!" He caught on. "I don't live with Twolegs. I _am _a Twoleg."

Stripedpelt and the she-cat exchanged a glance, and Sandpaw's green eyes widened.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "How can you be a Twoleg, though? You look like a cat to me."

Axel shrugged. "I came here, and now I'm a cat," he mewed, flicking his tail at himself. He decided not to tell them about the dark corridor or where he came from. He had other things to worry about.

"Listen..." he began anxiously. Stripedpelt cut him off.

"Nightsky," he meowed, turning to the she-cat. "Go tell Saltstar about him." Stripedpelt flicked his tail at Axel. Nightsky nodded and raced off.

Sandpaw was still trying to talk to him. "What's your name?" she asked. _Man, this cat's annoying. _

"Axel," he replied.

"Well, Axel," Stripedpelt mewed. "I think you should come with us."

"I can't," Axel retorted, frustrated. "I have to find my friend!"

Sandpaw growled. "Do it or I'll rip your fur off," she threatened.

He went with them, not because he was afraid of Sandpaw, but more afraid of the gray tabby, who was bigger, with muscles that rippled under his coat as they ran in the direction Nightsky had.

* * *

They ran until they reached a bramble tunnel that Axel wouldn't have noticed if Stripedpelt hadn't pointed it out to him.

Emerging from the tunnel, Axel was stunned by the amount of cats that could be together in one place. There were two she-cats on the far end of the clearing, watching affectionatly as six kittens played together. A few feet away from them, a group of four or so cats sat in a circle, grooming and chatting. There were more cats wandering around, taking food from a pile of dead rodents and birds in the centre of the clearing.

Stripedpelt led him to a den which was covered by a screen of lichen. They entered to see a beautiful white she-cat with ice blue eyes, though at the moment those eyes were staring at Axel coldly.

"So," the cat he could only guess was Saltstar began. "Nightsky tells me that you're a Twoleg." Axel glanced in the corner of the den. Nightsky was sitting there, gazing at him calmly.

"Um.. yeah, I guess you could say that," Axel replied, looking down at his paws.

"You look like a cat to me," Saltstar sniffed.

"I already explained this to Stripedpelt, Nightsky, and Sandpaw," he began, but he was cut off... again.

"You know their names?" The white she-cat blinked.

"Uh, yeah, mostly from them saying each other's names..." he trailed off.

"Their names must be strange to you." It wasn't a question.

"Well, I guess so, I mean, no one from my world has two names."

"I see," Saltstar said. "Axel, what can you do?"

Axel blinked. Do? "What?"

"Do you have any special powers or anything?" she asked patiently.

"I used to have chakrams... But I can't use them in this world. Maybe..." He paused, summoning up the magic inside of him. A small flame appeared in front of him.

Saltstar gasped and exchanged a glance with Stripedpelt. "You can create... _fire_?" she asked, stunned.

Axel shrugged and the flame went away with a flick of his tail. "You should see me when I'm angry!" he meowed mischeviously.

The she-cat laughed softly. "I would actually like to see what you can do. But not here," she added quickly as he was about to unleash a huge fireball. "You'd burn the forest down. We must discuss this with the other Clans at the next Gathering tomorrow," she mewed to Stripedpelt.

"What's all this about Clans and Gatherings? It'd be nice to know what the two of you are talking about," Axel huffed. "And Sandpaw," he added, flicking his tail at the young cat sitting at the far end of the den, where Saltstar couldn't see her.

"Sandpaw is here?" Saltstar turned around. "Don't you have something else to do?" she asked the younger cat.

Sandpaw huffed and stomped out of the den, glaring at Axel the whole way.

_Oops. _He hadn't realized that she wasn't supposed to be there, and now she was mad at him. The thought made him a bit sad; he had taken a liking to the ginger cat.

"Anyway," the leader continued, sitting back down. "I'll tell you about life in the Clans. There are four Clans: ThunderClan, which is where you are now; RiverClan; ShadowClan; and WindClan. Each Clan has a leader and a medicine cat. I'm our leader," she mewed somewhat proudly. "And our medicine cat's name is Acidclaw. He has an apprentice, Honeypaw. When a kit is six moons old, they become an apprentice. Then they receive a mentor, who trains them how to be either a warrior or medicine cat, whichever the apprentice chooses. Sandpaw is an apprentice," she added.

"A cat has the same first name from when they were born until they die. I'll use myself as an example. As a kit, I was Saltkit. When I became an apprentice, I was Saltpaw. After about six moons of training, I received my warrior name, Saltcloud. After that, our old leader, Darkstar, appointed me as his deputy. Stripedpelt is my deputy," she added, flicking her tail in the gray tabby's direction.

"When Darkstar died, I became leader and received my new name and nine lives."

"I thought all cats had nine lives?" Axel said, confused.

She blinked. "Where did you hear such a ridiculous rumor?"

He shrugged. "It's a human - I mean Twoleg - thing. What's this StarClan thing Sandpaw was going on about?" he asked, changing the subject.

"StarClan is the hunting grounds of our warrior ancestors. When a cat dies, he joins StarClan," Saltstar replied. "They are the ones who oversee the four Clans and make sure we follow the warrior code."

"Warrior code?" Axel echoed.

"It's the basic rules of being a warrior."

He nodded, pretending to know what she was talking about. "So what's all this about Gatherings?"

"Every full moon, the Clans meet in peace to share news with each other. It's tomorrow night," she added. "We _must _show you to the other Clans."

"Sounds... er, nice, but I really have to go," Axel protested. "I'm looking for a friend of mine."

"Oh, really?" Saltstar cocked her head. "What's he look like? Maybe one of my warriors has seem him."

"Well, he's..." Axel trailed off. "He's a Twoleg, too. So I don't know if he's a cat or not in this world."

"What colour fur did he have as a Twoleg?"

He guessed she meant his hair. "Blonde... er, golden."

"How old is he?"

"He's about fourteen... which I guess would be about eight months in cat years. He's just a kid," he added.

Saltstar nodded, then stood.

"Where are you going?" Axel asked.

"I'm going to call a Clan meeting. And you're coming with me," she replied over her shoulder as she padded out, Stripedpelt and Axel following at her heels.

* * *

**A few people have added the email alert on The World That Never Was. If you look closely, you'll see that the story is COMPLETE. Which means that I'm posting this story as a sequel. So it might be a good idea to add the email alert on me, not on the individual stories.**


	3. Ambush

**If any of you Kingdom Hearts fans who have no idea what Warriors is found that last chapter confusing, I'm sorry about that. It _should _become more clear, though I tried to explain myself as best I could last chapter.**

* * *

As they emerged from Saltstar's den, Axel noticed that the other cats in the clearing were gazing at him warily.

"Who's that?" A ginger tabby she-cat called. Saltstar ignored her and proceeded to jump on top of a tall rock at the head of the clearing. Axel made a move to follow her, but she shook her head.

"Only the leaders go on top of Highrock," she declared, leaping on top of said rock. Axel sniffed indignantly; maybe he should just leave.

Stripedpelt settled directly below the rock, and Axel sat beside it awkwardly, under the gaze of many cats.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Saltstar yowled. Most of the Clan were already in the clearing, but a few wandered out from dens set underneath low-hanging tree branches, who muttered amongst each other when they saw him. His face burned as cats looked at him and gossiped. This was turning out to be a bad idea.

"As most of you can see," Saltstar began, "ThunderClan has a visitor. This-" she flicked her tail at him. "-is Axel."

There was an uproar amongst most of the older cats. They yowled their displeasure to the leader, glaring at him the whole time.

"A loner? In ThunderClan?" one of the queens, a black one, hissed. Her kits fluffed up their fur, baring their small teeth, though they obviously had no idea what she was talking about.

"What's so special about him, that you would welcome him to our camp?" A gray apprentice called.

Saltstar waited patiently until the yowling had died down. "Smokepaw," she addressed the gray tom who had yowled before. "Axel will show you what's so special about him. Show them what you do," she ordered, looking down at Axel.

He snarled. _I could show her... I could show all of them that I'm not to be treated like vermin_! But he controlled himself and managed to only make a small fireball appear in front of him.

A gasp swept through the cats like wind through grass. Axel grinned smugly. _Who's the bad guy now? I could _save_ your Clan! From... whatever it needs saving from_. He blinked, suddenly aware that he had no idea why he was actually staying there. He should be looking for Roxas!

"Cats of ThunderClan!" he called. They shut up. "This is really... er, great and all, but I can't stay here! I'm looking for my friend. He disappeared in my world a few days ago, and the only reason I came here was to look for him. I had no intentions of ever finding you, of finding ThunderClan. I _don't _want to stay here, and I most certainly _don't _want to go to this Gathering Saltstar has told me about!" The cats exchanged glances with each other, and as he looked up, he saw Saltstar glaring down at him coldly. He curled his lip up; he had never really liked the she-cat.

"Axel," she hissed down at him. He stuck his chin up at her defiantly. She narrowed her eyes and leaped down to stand nose-to-nose with him, which was when he realized that he was taller than her, though skinnier.

The cats in the clearing muttered amongst each other, watching the two cats square up to each other. Axel stood there, eyes narrowed, as Saltstar looked around at her Clanmates. She then looked back to him, and announced:

"Axel, ThunderClan no longer welcomes you."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh no! Whatever will I do without you?"

Saltstar snarled. "Myself, Stripedpelt, and Sandpaw will escort you to the border. You have one sunrise to get out of our territory, and after that, my warriors will attack, claws unsheathed, if we ever see you again."

Axel sniffed; he could burn them all to a crisp if he wanted. But there was a shred of humanity in his non-existent heart, so he decided to do what she said.

As soon as her name was mentioned, Sandpaw bounced over, green eyes bright, apparently not realizing how serious the situation was.

Wordlessly, Saltstar stood on one side of him, with Stripedpelt on the other, and they began to lead him toward the tunnel, into the forest.

* * *

After walking for a few minutes, they reached what seemed to be the border. There were ThunderClan scents, and another, that smelled more like wind and rabbits. Axel peered out through the trees and only saw vast, open moorland with rolling hills. His bright orange pelt would stand out, which was a bad thing and a good thing. The good thing was, Roxas might see him easier. The bad thing was, more Clan cats might see him. And he didn't think he could handle much more of those.

Stripedpelt nudged him in the direction of the moor. "Alright, out you get," he mewed gruffly.

Axel ignored him and instead padded up to Sandpaw. Bending down, he breathed in her ear, "Sorry for getting you in trouble."

Sandpaw nodded. "It's okay," she whispered back. "I forgive you. Bye." She looked sad, and, stretching up a bit, she licked him on the ear. Axel licked her back.

"Bye," he murmured, before turning back to the deputy and Saltstar, who were glaring daggers at him. He padded out through the trees, the patrol on his heels.

He turned back, and blinked slowly at Sandpaw. She appeared not to notice, her gaze fixed on something behind him on the moor, her mouth open.

Axel whirled around, bristling. "Dusks!" he gasped. The white Nobodies danced in front of him, moving closer. There was about five, enough for him to handle.

"Do you know them?" Saltstar snarled from behind him, hissing at the Dusks.

"Yeah. They come from my world," Axel responded over his shoulder. "I can handle them, though. Just stay back, and keep close to the trees." His paws were already flickering with magic.

Paw steps from behind told him that the patrol had obeyed his orders. Quickly glancing over his shoulder, he saw two pairs of eyes gazing fearfully at him through the trees.

_Two_? They were both blue, so that meant...

"Sandpaw!" Axel gasped. The she-cat was hissing and spitting at the Dusks as they swiped at her. She leaped on one of them, caterwauling fiercely, and clawed at its head. But he knew that wouldn't be enough.

"Sandpaw!" he yowled again. "Get off and get to the trees!" She took no notice, still clawing. The Dusk she had jumped on danced around, shaking its head and hitting at the apprentice with its claws.

Axel snarled and shot a small fireball in the direction of the Dusk. But, as it hit it, some of the fire danced onto Sandpaw, singeing her fur. The flames went out quickly, but Axel could see that there was no way he could use fire now; he might burn Sandpaw. He growled and unsheathed his claws, leaping on the Dusk to help the ginger she-cat.

Something strange happened while he was clawing at the Nobody. His paws caught fire. It didn't hurt him, but it sure hurt the Dusk. Twitching violently, it threw the two cats off and disappeared. Sandpaw hit the ground hard, but sprang to her paws immediately, hissing. Axel turned back to the remaining Dusks and unleashed a fireball on them. It defeated every one of them, without burning Sandpaw.

After the Dusks were gone, Saltstar and Stripedpelt stepped out from the shadows. The Clan leader bowed her head. "Axel, you just saved the life of Sandpaw, and possibly many more."

"Um, right," Axel meowed awkwardly. "I guess, you know, seeing as you don't want me on your territory any more... I'll just be going."

"No!" Sandpaw bounded up to him, limping a bit. "I want you to stay!" She turned her pleading eyes on Saltstar. "Please?" she begged.

The white she-cat gave a small nod. "ThunderClan owes you a debt. You are welcome to stay."

He shrugged. "Might as well," he decided, and Sandpaw yowled with joy, and tackled him, play fighting with him. Axel rolled around in the dust with the ginger apprentice, having the most fun he'd had since coming to this forest.


	4. Sunningrocks

As the four cats made their way back to the camp, Sandpaw danced around him, chattering excitedly.

"I'm going to show you all my fighting moves, how to catch a mouse, I can even show you all the territory!" Her eyes were shining. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Axel smiled down at her. He knew he would have to say goodbye to her as soon as he searched the territory for Roxas. It broke his... heart.

The patrol padded through the bramble tunnel. Most of the Clan was still waiting in the clearing, but a few were missing. As they saw Axel, some of them gasped in surprise, but most of them hissed at him, showing their teeth.

"What's he still doing here, Saltstar?" Smokepaw called. Saltstar acknowledged him with a flick of her tail, and sprang nimbly on top of the Highrock. Sandpaw never left Axel's side, following him all the way to the side of the Highrock, though he did see her catch the eye of a brown apprentice, sitting quietly outside of her den.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!" Saltstar yowled, though most of the cats were already in the clearing, staring expectantly at their leader.

"While escorting Axel to WindClan territory, we came across a strange enemy," Saltstar announced. Yowls rang out.

"Was it WindClan?" a white she-cat hissed, unsheathing her claws.

The leader shook her head. "No, this was unlike anything I've ever seen before. They looked sort of like Twolegs, but their pelts were white, and their heads looked like a snake's, kind of. Their forepaws had claws on the end of them, like a badger's. Axel said they were called Dusks." She looked down at him for confirmation. He nodded quickly, then looked back to the cats. Most of them looked confused.

"Will they come back?" a black queen asked, drawing her tail protectively around her three kits.

Saltstar looked down. "Axel? Are they going to come back?"

He stood, not knowing what to say. "They are creatures from my world. I think they followed me here when I came. Those five were probably the only ones." He sat down again, not mentioning that those Dusks were the weakest Nobodies out there, and if there was one, there was probably more.

"I also haven't mentioned why Axel is still here," Saltstar went on. "Well, when those creatures came, he was the one who saved the life of myself and Stripedpelt. He fought the Dusks alongside Sandpaw. Speaking of Sandpaw," Saltstar meowed, staring down at the apprentice. "I think it's time for her to be made a warrior; she fought bravely, and her ceremony is long overdue."

Sandpaw gasped, then glanced down at her fur, still covered in dust. Patches were missing where they had been burnt off. Overall, she didn't look very pretty.

Saltstar beckoned the apprentice forward with her tail, and the ginger cat stepped forward nervously.

"I, Saltstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice," Saltstar began. "She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Sandpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Sandpaw's voice trembled. "But, Saltstar... I would like to ask you a favour." She bowed her head deeply. "I would like to request what my warrior name will be."

The leader nodded. "Very well. What is it?"

Sandpaw looked up, determination sparkling in her eyes. "I would like my warrior name to be Sandfire, after the friend I made."

Axel gasped. _She's naming herself after _me?

Saltstar nodded again. "I see. That shouldn't be a problem. By the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sandpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Sandfire. StarClan honors your courage, loyalty and selflessness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." She leaped down from Highrock and rested her head on the new warrior's head. Sandpaw - no, _Sandfire_, licked her leader's shoulder, then went to go sit beside Stripedpelt.

"Sandfire! Sandfire!" the Clan called out. Axel joined in enthusiastically, glowing with pride. Saltstar nodded, smiling, and twitched her ears to show the meeting was over.

Sandfire bounded over. "Like it?" she asked.

"I can't believe you named yourself after me!" Axel exclaimed. "I mean, I just met you."

The new warrior's eyes shimmered. "It seems like we've met before..." she trailed off. "But that's stupid! You just came here."

* * *

The next day, Sandfire was showing Axel the territory. "Here's the border to RiverClan," she meowed as they padded out from the trees to a clearing with large, flat rocks. "They can't cross this river, though they're always trying to take over Sunningrocks."

Suddenly, yowls rang out. Cats were streaming out from the river. "RiverClan!" Sandfire gasped. "They're doing it again!" She turned to him. "Axel, go back to camp! Get more cats to come help. I'll hold them off until you get back!"

"But how? They'll run right through you!" Axel protested. "I won't leave you!"

"Go!" Sandfire hissed, turning on him. "Go! Now!"

He shot off through the woods, trying to ignore the dread that clawed at his heart.

"RiverClan!" he yowled as he ran into camp. "At the Sunningrocks! Sandfire is there, by herself! We need everyone who can fight there, now!" Warriors clambered out of their dens. Without waiting to see if they were following, Axel pelted back to the Sunningrocks.

He burst through the trees into the clearing. Sandfire was still there, hissing at the cats.

"No!" Axel roared as three leaped on her. The rest were already clashing with the ThunderClan warriors that had arrived.

The world around him blurred and dissapeared. All Axel could see was the ginger fur underneath RiverClan. He grabbed one by the scruff and threw it off. The other, he bit its tail and sent it away, yowling. The last one turned on him, leaping on his back. He realized that he still didn't have any battle training, but he still fought fiercly, adrenaline pulsing through him. Raising a paw, he slashed the RiverClan warrior's throat. It fell off him, making a gurgling noise, blood bubbling from the corners of its mouth.

Ignoring the warrior, Axel ran to where Sandfire was laying. She was breathing hoarsely.

"Sandfire..."

She looked up at him. "Hey, Axel."

He looked down in horror. "Your stomach..." There was a huge gash in it, blood seeping out.

She shook her head, wincing. "I'm fine," she protested, but her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Axel looked around wildly for anyone who could help, but all the warriors were still fighting another cat.

"Help!" he yowled.

"Shhh," Sandfire soothed him. "I told you, I'll be fine." Her voice was growing weaker every second.

Her eyelids fluttered, and she closed them. "Sandfire! No! Wake up!" Axel yowled, nudging her with his nose.

Sandfire's breath still came, but slowly. He pressed his paws on her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding, but crimson liquid welled up from beneath his paws.

He looked down sadly at the she-cat. _There's nothing you can do..._ A voice whispered in his head.

"No!" he growled.

Sandfire's chest stopped rising and falling.


	5. Fourtrees

The RiverClan warrior hissed at her. "Come on, Saltstar, you can do better than that!"

Saltstar snarled, and, leaping on the warrior, she clawed at his back and bit his ears. He ran away, yowling. "How's that for better?" she called after him triumphantly.

She looked around for more RiverClan warriors to attack. Seeing Axel, she bounded up to him. "Hey," she panted. "How are you doing?" The former Twoleg said nothing. He was just staring at the ground, horror in his eyes. She followed his gaze, and cried out.

"Sandfire!"

* * *

"Sandfire!" Sandfire opened her eyes. She was back in the forest. _What? I should be at Sunningrocks!_ She looked around, but didn't recognize any of the undergrowth.

"Where am I?" she yowled. A rustling noise came from behind her. "Who's there?" she whispered.

Sweetfeather, medicine cat before Acidclaw, stepped from the shadows. "Hello, Sandfire," she greeted her.

"Sweetfeather? What? But... you're dead! You died before I was born! How can you be in the forest? Unless..." Sandfire paused. "No!" she gasped, legs crumpling under her. "I remember now! I was fighting, and I got hurt..." She couldn't tear her eyes away from the medicine cat. "Please... I need to be alive."

"I can't help you," Sweetfeather mewed. "I'm so sorry."

"No! I don't believe you! I'm still alive! This is just a dream!" Sandfire leaped to her paws. "I need to wake up!" She turned. "I need to get out of this forest!" She ran and ran until she was gasping for breath.

"It's no use." A quiet voice came from beside her; Sweetfeather had followed her. "You hunt with StarClan now. Come. I can take you to see Axel."

Sandfire reluctantly followed, only because the medicine cat had mentioned Axel.

* * *

"No, no, no, no!" Saltstar moaned. Axel just stared blankly at the lifeless body in front of him.

"She's..." he mumbled, then let out a long, slow wail. Saltstar said nothing, just stared at Sandfire, grief in her blue eyes.

Axel looked wildly around Sunningrocks. There were only a few RiverClan warriors left, and even they were being defeated and swimming back across the river.

"Get back here!" he screeched, hurling himself at the warriors, but Saltstar grabbed him by the scruff and held him back.

"No!" she hissed through his fur. "You'll only make things worse. Think about it." She let go.

He sighed, hanging his head. "I guess you're right," he muttered. "But..." He swung his head back around to look at the dead cat. "Look what they did to her."

As he looked, his eyes began to play tricks on him. He thought he saw Sandfire open her eyes and blink at him.

The ThunderClan leader beside him gasped. "Axel, look!"

His eyes weren't lying. Sandfire was alive!

"Sandfire!" He buried his nose into her fur.

"What...?" Sandfire mumbled. "Axel, get off." She pushed him away with her paw and stood shakily. Axel pushed his shoulder against hers for support. She nudged him away. "I can walk."

"How are you still alive?" Axel whispered. "I saw you die..."

Saltstar stepped forward. "You can talk to her later," she told him. "Right now, we have to get her back to camp. You take her, I'll help the rest of the cats here."

* * *

After Axel had led Sandfire back, she slept in her den. Acidclaw had checked her over and said nothing was wrong. Saltstar had helped out the injured cats, with Honeypaw's help. None were hurt too badly, except Lionwing, who had a deep cut on his shoulder, but should be fine by morning.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Axel looked up from Sandfire. Saltstar was calling a meeting. He sighed and looked back at her sleeping. "I'll be back," he murmered, before padding out of the warrior den.

He stepped into the red light of sunset. It looked as if fall was almost upon the forest, with some leaves starting to change colour.

Saltstar was standing on Highrock, gazing down as cats came out of dens and looked up at her.

"We have fought, and won, a battle today. RiverClan was defeated, and Sunningrocks will remain ours." Triumphant yowls rose from the clearing, and Axel joined in.

After the yowls had died down, Saltstar went on. "ThunderClan will be attending the Gathering tonight. Battles haven't stopped us from attending before, and they never will. I'll take Gingerstripe, Smokepaw, Robinpaw, Snowyheart, Thornwing, Nightsky, Wildfur, and Frostcloud." The chosen cats stepped forward, and Axel was confused. Didn't Saltstar say she was going to take him? Maybe she was letting him stay to be with Sandfire. He was fine with that.

He turned to go back to the warrior den, but heard his name called. "Oh, and Axel of course." Axel turned to look back at the ThunderClan leader. "That's right, you're coming," she purred. "And if Sandfire wakes by moonrise, she's coming as well."

* * *

Sandfire _did _wake up before night. She ran beside him now, and Axel was purring the whole way to the Gathering place.

"That's Fourtrees," Sandfire whispered, pointing with her chin to four great oaks standing in a clearing. "The Clans meet there in peace every full moon. I'm sure Saltstar is going to mention you."

Axel wasn't at all sure he _wanted _to be mentioned. After all, ThunderClan only liked him because he had saved their leader's life. Sandfire... well, he wasn't really sure why she had liked him.

Saltstar halted at the top of the ravine, and the rest of the group did the same. Looking down on Fourtrees, Axel saw that in the middle of the trees, there was a huge rock, at least ten feet tall.

The ThunderClan leader flicked her tail, and ran down the hill. The Gathering patrol followed. When they got to the Fourtrees, the cats divided to go talk with cats from other Clans. Axel noticed that none of them went over to RiverClan cats - he could recognize them by their fishy smell - and instead went to talk with other cats. WindClan and ShadowClan, he assumed.

Axel stood awkwardly beside Sandfire, shuffling his paws as other Clan cats gave him odd looks.

"What're they staring at?" he muttered in the ginger warrior's ear.

"They've never seen you before, remember?" she murmered back. "I suppose they're wondering what's going on."

He heard a yowl from the giant boulder. Saltstar and three other cats were standing at the top.

"Let the Gathering begin," a small gray-blue tom announced from the top of the rock.

* * *

**You're welcome, Pyro :)**


	6. An Unexpected Visitor

"ShadowClan will speak first," a large brown tom growled from the top of the boulder. "Prey is running well in our territory, and we have two new warriors: Nightshade and Yellowspots." He nodded to two she-cats in the clearing: a black cat with distinctive orange stripes, and a gold cat with a lovely dappled coat. The rest of the Clans chanted out the new warriors' names.

"Who's that?" Axel murmered to Sandfire.

"It's Earthstar, leader of Shadowclan," she whispered back. "Quiet! Bramblestar is about to speak. He's leader of RiverClan."

A brown tabby tom stood and dipped his head to Earthstar as the ShadowClan leader sat. "The river has supplied us with plenty of fish. RiverClan is growing strong from its richness. A new litter of kits was born a half-moon ago, and they are healthy." Bramblestar dipped his head once more and sat. "That is all."

The small blue-gray tom who had announced the Gathering stood.

"No news to report in WindClan," he announced. "But yesterday one of my patrols reported hearing yowls from the direction of ThunderClan." He swung his head around to look at Saltstar. "Do you know anything about this?" he asked her.

The ThunderClan leader nodded and stood. "Cats of all Clans!" she yowled. "I bring with me a cat of extraordinary powers." All cats looked around and at each other, puzzled. Axel shrank down, closer to the ground. Why did she have to say it like that?

"Yesterday, a patrol found a cat wandering our territory. He told them that he had used to be a Twoleg." Yowls rang out, from everyone.

"How is that possible?" the cat called Nightshade hissed, flattening her ears.

"Where is this Twoleg?" a dark tabby tom growled, swinging his head around to look at each and every cat.

Earthstar stood, his ears flattened. "Quiet!" he yowled, and the cats shut up. "Saltstar," he growled, looking at the ThunderClan leader. "Explain. And I expect no cat to interrupt again," he added, narrowing his eyes at the cats assembled in the clearing.

Saltstar dipped her head. "We brought the cat back to our territory." She explained everything that had happened from when Axel had first met her until the Gathering.

"Your RiverClan attack almost killed one of my warriors," she hissed at Bramblestar, flattening her ears.

"We were only trying to take back what was rightfully ours!" he retorted, snarling. The two cats unsheathed their claws.

"Stop it!" the blue-gray leader hissed at them. "Remember, this is a Gathering!"

Bramblestar dipped his head. "You're right, Littlestar. Saltstar." He raised his head. "Where is this Twoleg cat now?"

"He's right here," she replied simply. Axel pressed himself down further, pushing his belly to the ground.

"Axel!" Sandfire hissed. "Get up there!" She nudged him, and he tumbled toward the Great Rock, landing awkwardly on his chin.

The three leaders narrowed their eyes. Axel looked up, almost scared, and hurridly stood up, shaking the dust from his fur.

"This is Axel," Saltstar mewed.

"Ah, yes! Axel!" A voice came from the top of the hill. Axel swung his head around to see a gray-blue cat standing there, silhouetted against the moonlight.

"I've found you at last," the cat meowed, then bounded down to join the Clans.

_Wait a minute... _There was something about that cat, the way he ran and the way he spoke... It was oddly familiar.

The cat padded up to him, face to face. "Don't you recognize me?" he asked sarcastically.

It was then that Axel noticed the X-shaped scar on its face. "Saix!" he gasped.

Saix grinned. "Excellent, Axel. Now come back to the castle!" he ordered.

"Never!" Axel hissed. "I'm searching for Roxas!"

The blue-gray cat laughed. "_Roxas_? You know nothing!"

"Shut up!" Axel screeched. "He's my best friend!" Unsheathing his claws, he hurled himself at the other Organization member, fire flickering on his paws. Saix jumped out of the way, chuckling.

"You think you can get me that easily?" Saix taunted. "It's a full moon tonight!"

_Oh no... _He had forgotten about that. As Axel watched, Saix's eyes glowed red, and he seemed to triple in size.

"Come back, or suffer the consequences!" number VII crowed.

All around him, cats were shrieking in terror and pelting away as fast as they could, until Axel and Saix were the only ones in the clearing.

Axel gulped. _No... You can take him! Just use your fire_!

Against all his instincts, he closed his eyes and summoned up fire. He opened his eyes to see a fireball growing in front of him. Saix's red eyes flickered back to orange for a heartbeat, and he seemed to shrink a little. Aiming carefully, Axel shot the fire at his attacker.

It hit right on. Saix howled as his fur was burnt off, and opening a Dark Corrider, he streaked back through that, back to his own world. Axel blinked. _What? It's my world too..._

**_Really _boring chapter... I just had to post it. Next one'll be better!**


	7. Decisions, Decisions

******Hey, A Beautiful Oblivion here... cause I'm that awesome, I'm allowing Axel's Pyro Girl to write this chapter for me! Tell her how you think!**

**A/N: Hello, readers! Axel's Pyro Girl, here. A Beautiful Oblivion is being such a dear as to letting me write a chapter. I shall adore her forever. Roll the story! -snaps-**

* * *

Axel scrunched up his face. Well, the best he could as a cat, anyway._ When did I stop thinking of it as my world_?

Letting the fur on his back lie flat once more, he turned and slowly looked at the Clan cats huddled behind him. Dozens of wide eyes met his gaze, and many cats gave him a wide berth as he stepped forward.

Sandfire bounded out of the crowd excitedly, small paws kicking up dirt from the dry ground. "That was so cool!" she yelped excitedly. The pale ginger she-cat sobered some, though, and reality caught up with her. "But... Who was he? It seemed like you knew each other..."

"I believe that is a question we would all like answered," a voice mewed warily from atop the boulder. The small WindClan leader, Littlestar, was the one who had spoken. His smooth blue-gray coat glinted in the moonlight as he shifted.

Axel glanced around at the cats assembled around him. A memory of nervousness skittered along his limbs. Of all the beings at the Gathering, Sandfire seemed to be the only one brave - or foolish - enough to get within ten feet of him. Even the large ShadowClan leader, Earthstar, seemed rightfully untrusting.

The bright crimson cat took a deep breath before exhaling, his shoulders sagging.

"Well," he started, emerald eyes locked on the four Clan leaders. "That was Saix. He's.... Well, he's from my world. He's part of my Clan, I guess you could say." The pyromaniac was obviously struggling to put his words into terms the Clans would understand.

Bramblestar, the young RiverClan leader, spoke next. "Does everyone in your Clan have these abilities?"

Axel shifted uncomfortabley, whiskers twitching. "Each of them has a different element. But yeah, I guess they do," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. The unusally quiet Sandfire scooted closer to his side, and Axel couldn't help but grin slightly. If a cat can grin, of course.

The four leaders each shared timid glances, then nodded to each other. Saltstar stepped up to the edge of the enormous rock, ice blue gaze sweeping over the shaken Clan cats.

"We have decided to dismiss this Gathering early, for reasons obvious to all," the snow colored she-cat announced loudly.

Nervous and relieved mutters spread though the cats, along with timid glances in Axel's general direction. The Nobody-turned-feline felt strangely proud for causing such ruckus and disturbance. After all, Axel is fire personified. And fire causes chaos if not controlled. Axel is obviously not controlled.

* * *

Axel curled close to Sandfire in the warriors' den that night, but was unable to sleep.

Saix's arrival had reminded Axel of his true intention of travelling the worlds; his objective was simple. Find Roxas.

Yes, he'll admit it. But only once. Axel had forgotten his best friend for a period of time. The little she-cat nestled in his side had absorbed his thoughts. She, some one whom he had known barely a day or two, overpowered thoughts of Roxas, the one closest to his non-existant heart.

When Axel had thought Sandfire dead, his chest ached. Like how one would feel sadness, mourning a loss.

This confused him. He wasn't supposed to have a heart, he wasn't supposed to feel.

As another thought occured to him, the Nobody snorted. He was going to be in deep shit once he got back. The Organization was a stealth operation. Members weren't allowed to let inhabitants of other worlds see them, let alone associate themselves.

But... He _could _say he was forced to come to their camp, which was kind of true. He had been so overwhelmed by being turned into a cat, he hadn't even remembered to stay hidden.

Saix would have no doubt reported Axel's whereabouts to Xemnas as soon as he had returned to the World That Never Was. And since Roxas obviously wasn't in this world, it was best he left as soon as possible.

The Flurry's emerald gaze lingered on Sandfire, sleeping peacefully, snuggled into Axel's slightly longer fur. What would he do about her? He didn't want her to stay, and possibly get hurt if more Dusks or - God forbid - another Organization XIII member showed up.

Axel rolled the idea in his head for the rest of the night, unable to sleep.

Just before the dawn of the sun, the Nobody nodded firmly to himself.

Axel had made his decision.

* * *

**Wasn't that awesome? I'm jealous of Pyro's writing ability... I only added in one line. It's right up there ^ 6 up. Review and tell her what you thought!**


	8. Ready?

**It's me, A Beautiful Oblivion, again!**

* * *

Axel raised his head and looked around the den to check the rest of the cats were still sleeping, then nudged Sandfire. She yawned, grumbling, "What?"

"Come with me," he whispered. "And be quiet!" The two cats crept out of the warriors den, padding silently into the clearing.

"Wait!" Sandfire hissed. "Where are we going?" She swung her head toward the tunnel. "We can't go that way."

The Nobody followed her gaze. "Damn," he muttered. Nightsky was sitting by the only exit, keeping guard. "How do we get out?" he asked Sandfire.

"Follow me," the ginger she-cat told him. She turned and padded toward the nursery, quickly glancing around, then slipped into a gap beside the nursery entrance. Axel shot one last look over his shoulder at Nightsky. She appeared not to have noticed them. He followed Sandfire through the hole, and came out into the forest. She was already sitting, gazing at him.

"Okay," Axel meowed, not wasting any time. "You remember when I first met you? I said I was looking for my friend. Well... he's obviously not in this world. So..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I have to leave."

Her reaction wasn't exactly what he excpeted. Sandfire sat there, and appeared to be thinking it over. Then, quietly: "I thought we were friends."

Axel flinched, taken aback. "Of course we are!" he protested.

"So you're leaving me for this... this... _other _friend of yours?" she hissed, flattening her ears and showing her teeth. "I can't believe I was so _stupid_! Fall in love with a Twoleg-" She slapped her tail over her mouth, eyes wide. Axel's eyes widened, too.

"What?" he whispered. "What did you just say?"

Sandfire looked at her paws, slowly drawing her tail away from her lips. "I love you," she murmered, looking up.

That was totally _not _okay. He had already broken way too many rules, but that... that was totally unacceptable. But Axel didn't care. His chest ached for the young cat, gazing at him with those pleading eyes.

"Come with me," he mewed after a long silence. "Come to my world." Sandfire's eyes widened even more, until they looked like they would pop out of their sockets.

"If I come with you... I'd be leaving behind my whole life," she muttered. "Everything I've ever known... And, besides, wouldn't you be a Twoleg when we got back?"

Axel shrugged. "I'm assuming. But... I was a Twoleg before and turned into a cat. What do you think's going to happen to you?" He didn't try to hide anything.

The young warrior lowered her eyes. "I'd be a Twoleg." It wasn't a question.

"Are you ready?" Axel whispered.

"As I'll ever be." Sanfire sighed. "Alright. I'll come."

* * *

**And that's the end of this story! Next one will be up whenever I finish.**


	9. Epilogue

**I just wanted to post this because I felt like I needed to tie up some loose ends. ****The next story is currently being planned!**

**Italics are thoughts and flashbacks.**

* * *

Sandfire took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll come." She looked up through the trees at the rapidly brightening sky above their heads. The dawn patrol would be out soon, wondering where she and Axel went.

"We should get back," she told the orange tom. "If we _are _going to leave, I'm not doing it without saying goodbye. I want to tell my mother and brother where I'm going." She thought of them then, Gingerstripe and Smokepaw. She wanted to see them one last time.

Axel nodded. "Okay," he agreed. The two cats pushed their way back through the gap in the camp wall, emerging on the other side, next to the nursery.

"You go find your family. I have to talk to Saltstar," Axel told her, padding toward the leader's den.

Sandfire turned and went in the direction of the warrior den. She wanted to see Gingerstripe first.

"Gingerstripe?" she whispered, pushing her head and shoulders into the den. Her mother raised her head and yawned.

"Yes, Sandfire?" she asked sleepily. Sandfire padded over, bent her head down, and hurridly explained to her what was going on.

Her mother nodded."I always knew this was going to happen, from the first time I saw you look at him. But please," she mewed, gazing up at Sandfire with eyes that mirrored her daughter's. "Be careful. I'll miss you, but I know I can't stop what's going to happen." She stood, shaking bits of moss from her fur. "Come outside with me," she told her daughter.

* * *

Axel called out warily from outside the entrance. "Saltstar?" No response. He stuck his head in, and saw the ThunderClan leader was sleeping, her chest rising and falling evenly.

"Okay, you can do this," he muttered to himself. "I just hope she isn't grumpy in the mornings." He padded over and nudged Saltstar, whispering her name again.

Saltstar raised her head and yawned. "What?" she asked gruffly. Axel told her what was happening and where he was going.

The snow white she-cat sighed. "I suppose I couldn't stop you. If Sandfire agrees, I can't stop her from leaving, either."

Axel almost jumped with glee. He had _never_ expected it to be this easy! He thought they'd have to fight for it, like they did whenever anyone in the Organization had a disagreement.

* * *

"Is this really what you want?" Smokepaw whispered, touching his muzzle to hers.

Sandfire blinked. "Yes. I'm sorry," she muttered.

"You'll never be able to see me become a warrior." Her brother seemed to deflate with the thought. Sandfire looked away. She hadn't thought of that. Smokepaw would be made a warrior soon, and she wouldn't be there to see it.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

"Clan meeting," Smokepaw murmered, turning away. Sandfire stared after him, hurt. Did he really believe that she _didn't _want to watch him become a warrior? She followed her brother to Highrock, tail drooping. Saltstar sat atop the rock, gazing down at ThunderClan.

_What does she want now?_ Sandfire thought bitterly. Smokepaw's coldness had put her in a bad mood, and she huffed as she sat down.

"I have a few announcements to make," Saltstar told her Clan. "Axel has decided to leave us." She dipped her head, as though mourning a loss. The rest of the Clan nodded respectfully to Axel, sitting beside the Highrock.

The white she-cat raised her head. "Another member of our Clan is leaving." Some of the cats looked at each other curiously, others muttered to each other, and some just sat and waited for Saltstar to continue. Gingerstripe gave Sandfire a meaningful look, and that was almost enough to stop Sandfire from leaving. But she sat up straighter, and raised her chin toward her leader.

"Sandfire is going with Axel." An uproar rose up from the assembled Clan.

"_What_?" Stripedpelt hissed, glaring at Axel, fur bristling.

"Is that even allowed? Doesn't the warrior code say that all warriors must reject the soft life of a kittypet?" Nightsky pointed out.

"No!" Wildfur roared, bounding over to Sandfire, pushing his nose into her fur. "Don't leave me!"

Gingerstripe shot over to her daughter's side, nudging Wildfur away, hissing. "I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with her, or me!" she growled.

Wildfur winced and shrunk back. "Gingerstripe..."

"No," Sandfire's mother growled. "When I told you I was going to have kits, you didn't talk to me afterwards. You never came to visit me, or them, in the nursery. You said that 'you weren't ready to have kits'."

Sandfire sat there, gazing at her paws. Wildfur was her father, though he never acted like it. He ignored her totally, and never spoke to his mate or kits.

"Let her go!"Gingerstripe hissed. "If you never cared about her, why should you start now?"

The black tom sighed. "You're right," he mumbled. "But, Sandfire." She looked up, into her father's clear blue eyes. "Goodbye. And I love you. I always have." Another warning hiss from Gingerstripe sent him trotting away, to sit at the edge of the clearing, his back to the Highrock.

Sandfire felt Axel's eyes on her. She exchanged a quick glance with him. He twitched his ears. _What's wrong?_ She shook her head slightly. _Not now. _Their unspoken words just symbolized how well they knew each other, having met only a few days before.

Sandfire heard a mew and looked up at Highrock. Saltstar stood at the top of the boulder. Her gaze was not alarmed or concerned, just mildly curious.

Beside her, Gingerstripe dipped her head respectfully. "I apologize, Saltstar," she meowed.

Saltstar nodded once to the ginger she-cat. "Thank you." She raised her head to address the entire Clan. "There is an apprentice here who is more than ready to become a warrior, and I cannot think of a better time for him to become a warrior, to see off his sister." Smokepaw drew in his breath quickly.

"Smokepaw," the ThunderClan leader announced. The gray apprentice stepped forward nervously, white tail tip twitching.

Saltstar leaped from Highrock. "Smokepaw, from this moment you will be known as Smokefeather. StarClan honors your bravery and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." She rested her head on Smokefeather's, and he licked her shoulder respectfully.

"Smokefeather! Smokefeather!" the Clan crowed to the rising sun. Sandfire joined in enthusiastically, purring. Smokefeather padded over to sit with her, blue eyes shining. Sandfire gave him a lick on the cheeck, and he rubbed his muzzle against hers.

Saltstar padded toward Sandfire, signalling the meeting was over. Cats gathered around Smokefeather to congratulate him. The white she-cat beckoned with her tail for Sandfire to come and sit with her. Saltstar was sitting alone. Sandfire broke away from the crowd around her brother and joined the ThunderClan leader.

"You're sure about this?" Saltstar asked as Sandfire sat.

Sandfire nodded, instincively knowing what her leader was talking about. "Positive."

"I thought as much," the snowy she-cat murmered. "Though I am sad to see you leave, I know that you'll be happy where you're going." She raised her blue eyes to the sky, growing lighter. "As soon as I saw you make your first catch, I knew you were going to be a great warrior one day."

Sandfire remembered her first catch. She had been on a hunting patrol with Stripedpelt, Saltstar, and Lionwing - then called Lionpaw, Saltstar's apprentice. Sandfire had caught a rabbit almost as big as her, and had insisted on carrying it back down the ravine with her. Now that she remembered the day, Saltstar _had_ been gazing at her with pride.

"But I guess StarClan has chosen a different path for you." Saltstar's mew pulled her out of her memories. The she-cat was still staring at the sky. Was that wistfullness in her tone?

Sandfire glanced away, to Axel. He still sat beside the Highrock, unable to congratulate Smokefeather; he didn't know the gray warrior well enough. Axel glanced over at her. From the look in his bright green eyes, they were running out of time.

"When are you leaving?" Saltstar was still talking. Sandfire swung her head back around to look at her leader.

"As soon as possible." Axel's mew sounded behind her. He had crept up on the two she-cats without them noticing.

Saltstar dipped her head. She looked... sad. "Very well."

Sandfire stood, pressing her fur against Saltstar's one last time. "Goodbye," she whispered. The pale ginger cat padded away, to say her final goodbyes to her family.

* * *

Axel groaned, though not loud enough for any of the cats to hear. More goodbyes? They were running out of time! _We should have left by now_, he thought angrily. Sandfire was surrounded by a group of cats, all of them trying to say goodbye at the same time. Axel sat just outside the group, shoulders hunched, scowling.

He pricked his ears, raising his head. Was there... growling coming from the nursery?

A kit tumbled out, followed by two more. The first kit was male, with orange fur. The other male was a brown tabby, and the she-kit was white, her fur tinged slightly pink.

"Look!" the orange kit whispered to his siblings. "The loner is all alone. The perfect opportunity for an attack!"

Despite his annoyance, Axel couldn't help but purr. So _that_ was that growling. The kits were just playing.

"ThunderClan, attack!" the orange tom crowed. All three kits jumped on Axel. He sighed, still purring, and shook his head. Might as well play with them; I have nothing better to do, he told himself.

The kits squealed as Axel shook himself lightly, prentending to try and throw them off.

A purr of amusement made him stop growling. He raised his head to see Sandfire, her whiskers twitching with humor.

"Look out Orangekit, Birdkit,and Berrykit! The badger is out to get you!" she teased lightly.

Axel sat down with a huff, and the kits slid off of him. "Go back to the nursery," he told them. A chorus of "Aww"'s, "Do we have to?"'s, and "Really?"'s met his order.

A white head poked out from the nursery. "Kits!" the queen called. Her kits groaned one last time, then trudged back to their mother.

"I didn't know how fond you were of kits," Sandfire purred.

Axel shrugged. "I was bored, what with you taking too long to say bye."

"Cats of ThunderClan." The traditional call wasn't needed; all of the warriors and apprentices were already in the clearing. Saltstar had climbed back up the Highrock, and was addressing her Clan.

"Its time for Axel and Sandfire to leave us," she meowed solemly. Axel snorted. Only two days ago she'd tried to rip his fur off! Then again, so had Sandfire. And look at her now. He turned his head to look at her. Her pale ginger coat shone in the sunlight that had just broken above the treeline.

Sandfire dipped her head to her leader. "Thank you, Saltstar. I will never forget any cat here." She raised her head to look at her Clan. "Who knows: Maybe we can come and visit one day."

Axel stood, nodding his head respectfully to ThunderClan. Then, with Sandfire by his side, he padded out of the gorse tunnel, to climb up the ravine for the last time.

* * *

"Where would you like to change worlds?" Axel, his pelt brushing Sandfire's, broke the silence as they padded through the trees.

"I think it should be..." Sandfire trailed off. She had so many memories in this forest, and it was hard to pick which place she wanted to see last. Axel had already explained about how they were going to change worlds. He would open up a... portal, was it? And they would go through it, to another world.

"Well?" Axel pressed. "Where should it be?"

"Sunningrocks." Sandfire blurted out the first place that popped into her head. To her relief, he nodded, seeming satisfied. It actually made sense; that was where she fought her first battle as a warrior. And... where she had died.

She went over this in her mind. All had seemed lost, with Sweetfeather telling her she couldn't go back. She had followed the medicine cat when she mentioned Axel. Sandfire had thought she would be taken to walk in his dreams, like all StarClan cats did. But she didn't.

* * *

_"Come," Sweetfeather whispered, glancing around, as if she didn't want __any other cat to see. Sandfire stumbled along blindly behind the pale __brown tabby, not caring._

_"I said I could take you to see Axel. And I can. But not like you __think," Sweetfeather told her. __"Before I do, you know that how you feel about him is not permitted," __she murmered gently._

_"I don't care," Sandfire growled. "Who asked you, anyway? I don't need __your advice!" She glared at the medicine cat, fire in her eyes. "The __only reason I'm stuck here is _because_ I was following the warrior code."_

_Sweetfeather nodded, and understanding lit up her face. "Let me __explain," she offered. Sandfire nodded grudgingly, sitting down with a __bump._

_And so she did. She told her where she was taking the young warrior, __and what was going to happen._

_"Understand that you must tell no cat about this," Sweetfeather told __her sternly._

_"I won't," Sandfire promised. And she wouldn't. She was willing to __keep this promise if it meant seeing Axel again._

_She woke up, laying on the ground near Sunningrocks, with Axel near h__er. The look on his face was one she would never forget - it was one __of sheer joy and relief._

* * *

"Here we are," Axel announced, pulling her out of her thoughts. Sunningrocks stood before them, glowing in the sunlight. Sandfire shivered as an unexpected blast of cold air ruffled her fur. Leaf-fall was almost upon the forest.

Axel was already busying himself opening the portal. It sprang up out of the ground, a circle of darkness.

"I have to go in there?" Sandfire mewed, startled. "It doesn't look very safe."

"As long as you're with me, you'll always be safe," the orange tom reassured her. She nodded. She would stay by his side, whatever happened.

"Are you ready?" Axel murmered. Sandfire looked around slowly, drinking in everything she could. She stared across the river to RiverClan territory, into the forest at her own, and back to Sunningrocks, where Axel and her new life as a Twoleg waited.

"Yes," she meowed firmly, following him through the portal, taking one last look at her beloved home.

"I'll come back someday," she whispered to the forest. "I promise."

* * *

**Finished! I promise I'll start working on the next one now. What I think is hilarious is that the epilogue is at least twice as long as any others ^_^**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed!**


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